The Blackjack Bandit
by BH72
Summary: Written for NCISLA Magazine's Eric Appreciation week's FF challenge. Along the strip in Las Vegas, Eric Beale is known as the Blackjack Bandit. His reputation had him thrown out, but having to go undercover for the D.C. team, led to his ban from the city. Ten years later, his past haunts him, when his college buddy is in danger.


The Blackjack Bandit

By BH72

_Disclaimer: All characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS. I am thankful to be able to play with them before I have to return them back again for the next episode._

_A/N: Pieces of Zero Days will be used in this one-shot, written for the NCISLA Magazine's Eric Appreciation week's FanFiction challenge_

**_Las Vegas, 2004…_**

Edward entered the Excalibur Casino and walked over to the blackjack table, in the middle of the room. The dealer, a woman, smiled at the blond haired, blue eyed man. He was dressed well, exuberayting great wealth in his midnight blue velvet jacket, navy blue scarf, loosely tired around his neck, and designer black trousers, tailored to his sculptured his well toned body from surfing. Shiny black leather lace up shoes and a gold TAG Heuer sports watch completed his looks. His black rimmed glasses made him appear older than the twenty-five years of age that he really was. A woman dressed completely in black with high heeled boots, sat beside him. The split in her long dress came up high on her thigh, revealing the lace stockings she wore underneath. Her skin was inked with various tattoos over various parts of her body, particularly her back, wrists and fingers, although one couldn't be sure what lurked underneath her dress. Her hair hung loose over shoulders, curling gently at the bottom. A large black cross hung around her neck, bringing the man's attention to her cleavage. He smiled over to her, before turning his attention to the cards on the table. Around the table sat another two men, an older balding man, who looked nervous, obviously from failing to win back any of his losses; and a well groomed man in his early forties, tall, athletic and well groomed.

The employee of the casino nodded to the guests at her table before dealing. Edward Bradford took his time before deciding to stay or deal, as if he was making the biggest decision of his life. However, his glasses provided all the answers he needed on what to do, seeing they had x-ray vision.

"Look at Abbey, Eric." Jethro Gibbs called through the comms. "Got you." Their suspect, an Italian arms dealer with the name of Fabio Cassano sat to Abbey Scuito's left, positioned so Eric could get a good look at him, whilst looking at his lady luck. So far that week they had been into seven casinos, with Abbey as Eric's lucky charm, following Fabio around. Eric had been pulled into this undercover operation due to his ability to play the game of blackjack so well. He had gained the nickname the Blackjack Bandit from the Casinos on the strip due to his ability to take all the winnings placed on the table. The casinos hadn't liked it the last time he was in town, but this time, he'd played even more dirty and had taken the casinos by storm. He had the advantage of x-ray glasses that gave him the ability to see what the next card on the deck was going to be, without his natural ability to win, with the help of his good friend Ira, of course. The casinos were getting nervous when they saw him enter. His real identity had been kept from them, with only the name of Edward Bradford on the driver's license that he carried with him. Henrietta Lange had procured Eric Beale from a jail cell, after being caught breaking into secured government systems. The former CIA operative had seen his potential for their government, and had gained his release with a clean slate on his records; as long as he worked for her and stopped playing blackjack. But now he was drawn into working for the D.C. team to help bring down an arms dealer that had led them on a goose chase across the country.

Another man came to the table, passing a key to Fabio, who left after the next round. His jaw tensed as his steely grey eyes looked over to Eric, annoyed at his constant winnings, although they were playing against the dealer, and not each other. He just couldn't get a break there, so he was glad that his contact had finally arrived. He walked through the casino, to some lockers at the far end of the floor. He looked at the number on the key and made his way to the correct locker. Camera footage from the casino's security showed his movements, allowing agents Tony DiNozzo and Kate Todd to move in for a closer look and then arrest him.

Gibbs' voice came over the comms to notify Eric and Abbey that Fabio had been caught red handed in trade of a lot of money in exchange for the illegal arms he'd passed on to his contact. A truck in the loading bay was found by McGee and Gibbs with the backup of local police. All men involved were arrested. "Time to leave, Eric."

Eric and Abbey were about to leave the table, when they were stopped by casino security, who were oblivious to the NCIS take down of the Italian arms dealer. They had watched Eric throughout his time at the hotel over the security cameras. They knew he was up to something, but wasn't sure what it was. When they came downstairs to approach him, they found the ear pieces and arrested him for playing dirty. Eric and Abbey couldn't explain that they were on an operation for the government, so they had to go along with being handcuffed and thrown into a police car. Eric asked for his rights for a call. He dialled Hetty and explained the situation. It took DiNozzo and Kate another half an hour to explain the situation to LVPD, for their release.

"I don't care if he is one of yours, he's banned from this city." The captain shouted at DiNozzo. "I've had it up to my ears with complaints from all the casinos in town. It's not just from this visit, he's caused problems here before. He's even gained the nickname of the Blackjack Bandit." The captain took DiNozzo and Todd through to the holding cell and unlocked the door. "I don't want to see either of you in my city again. You are banned."

Eric looked guilty, whilst Abbey got upset over their treatment. DiNozzo had to hug her to calm her down over the whole situation. After that Eric worried he would lose his job, but Hetty only smiled and told him that she was procuring agents of her own out west, for a secret team. One that he'll be part of.

**_Los Angeles, 2014…_**

Eric Beale sat annoyed sandwiched in-between two bikers in the downtown L.A. Police cell. His one call was to his colleague, Detective Marty Deeks, in hope of a quiet get away. He worried that word would get out about his previous arrest from breaking into secure government systems, but as Deeks entered the cell, he was relieved to see he was more amused over what he saw. Eric in his polar bear pyjamas, being used as a pillow by one of the bikers. "Oh this is good." The detective chuckled. He pulled his cell out and snapped a shot.

If Eric hadn't been so worried over his old college buddy, Ira, he'd probably laugh at the situation himself, but now he wasn't sure if his friend was alive or dead. He had more important issues to worry about. Fortunately, Ira was indeed alive, but he was in danger. The team placed him in one of the interrogation rooms at the boat shed and sent his partner, Nell in to play sweet and seductive Stephanie Prim character. She threw Sam Hanna out to get close to Ira, in hope for information over why he was being shot at. Eric's blood boiled from seeing Nell in action with his friend, jealousy surged through him. Then Nell puts it out there, that Eric himself had been arrested. Dread consumed him, what if Ira blabs over his last arrest to Nell and about their dirty dealings over the blackjack fiasco the first time he'd been to Las Vegas? Thankfully Ira didn't squeal on him to Nell and they worked together with the agents protecting them, to save the day.

Eric tossed and turned in-between his sheets, as the past twenty-four hours ran through his synapses. He had made it through the day, just, and was thankful Ira survived the assassination attempt on his life. But when he admitted to Ira who he worked for, he saw something click inside of his friend's mind at the realisation on how he came to be working at NCIS. "That's why you never went to jail for getting caught breaking into those government systems, or for playing dirty at blackjack." Ira laughed at him, while Eric shrugged. He was glad no one had found out that Ira had been involved in their play in Las Vegas, and that all record of his involvement had been wiped clean. On the condition he never returned to the city. He only hoped the team never had to go there for a case and he had to explain why he couldn't. Especially after his undercover stint with the D.C. team. He knew his reputation was safe with Abbey, who promised that no one from the D.C. team would ever blab on him to the L.A. team For now he knew he had Hetty on his side with the knowledge of his past hidden, he was sure the team would look at him very differently if they knew what he had done. Although he had let slip to Nell once, that he had played blackjack and was thrown out of town.


End file.
